He also said they may decide this week where he's going to play next year: Vermont, Rochester, or Kelowna.

Devine didn't say Kelowna, he said Canadian Hockey League. Maybe I'm reading too much into that, but I think it means his CHL rights will be traded if they decide that juniors is best for him. Kelowna doesn't have much choice if Girgensons won't play there.

Devine didn't say Kelowna, he said Canadian Hockey League. Maybe I'm reading too much into that, but I think it means his CHL rights will be traded if they decide that juniors is best for him. Kelowna doesn't have much choice if Girgensons won't play there.

I dont think there's a chance Girgensens comes to Kelowna. If Darcy wants him to play major junior than we'll have to trade him. Hamilton did a piss poor job on this situation.

He also mentioned in his post-draft media scrum that they had a deal worked out for #14 earlier in the week but didn't pull the trigger until they knew Girgensons was going to be there. He said that what really caught their attention was the shot-block in the Latvia-Russia game at the WJC's as an outstanding moment, a character moment, that had them sold on his leadership.

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It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. - Aristotle

Here is my question, can a player like Girgensons be traded across different CHL leagues? To my knowledge the only time those teams ever trade is during the CHL import draft. Chain posted an article in the main Girgensons thread about the Quebec Ramparts having interest in him. I have to believe that if there is a way that the Sabres could get Girgensons on the same team to play with Grigorenko they would be estatic. Is there any possibility of something like this happening?

But according to everyone here, scouts don't even look at WJC performances...

No, they don't base everything off of WJC performances and if a player performs well against players that are so much older, it's notable.
However, a bad or subpar performance will not kill their draft stock.

I don't have the exact quote or remember which interview it was from, but an interesting comment from Darcy was something like "Girgensons is going to be ready earlier than people think too." IIRC, he was being asked about Grigorenko and threw that little nugget in without being asked. Either he thinks he can make the team(probably not) or he at least wants him in Rochester so he can be called up as early as next season.

Why are so many here seemingly okay with putting him in the AHL?
It's not necessarily a good idea just because the organization is thinking about it.

If I'm GM, I tell him you're either going to UVM or you're playing in the WHL and I'd prefer that you play in the Dub.
If you do, you'll get over $100,000, $90,000 of which will be on the spot, and you'll have a chance to make the NHL as a 19 year old.
If you go to UVM, you'll probably have to ride the bus in the AHL at some point after you hit the rookie wall.

If it's 50/50, the Sabres' brass is the half that want him playing under Rolston in the AHL. The other half is Girgensons, who is committed to UVM to play for the Catamounts next season.

Or is that simplifying it too much?

It could be that... it also could just be something that people say.

Right now, if someone asked me if I was moving back to Savannah or Columbus, GA next summer, I'd say "50/50 chance." I've got no real way of quantifying that, or any logic behind it either. Just something that people say.

Why are so many here seemingly okay with putting him in the AHL?
It's not necessarily a good idea just because the organization is thinking about it.

If I'm GM, I tell him you're either going to UVM or you're playing in the WHL and I'd prefer that you play in the Dub.
If you do, you'll get over $100,000, $90,000 of which will be on the spot, and you'll have a chance to make the NHL as a 19 year old.
If you go to UVM, you'll probably have to ride the bus in the AHL at some point after you hit the rookie wall.

I thought I was ****ing crazy for thinking exactly as above. I see zero benefit in Vermont, sorry.

Just was unsure if he could do a one-and-done in the CHL. That would be my personal preference. Get him a year at that level and take it from there. So what if he needs two. There's no way he jumps from Catamount directly to Sabre. So Vermont, even for a year, delays his NHL debut by two years minimum.

There's a part of me that wants him under Rolston. McCabe again, too, after hearing the kid interview. Mature beyond his years for sure.

I thought I was ****ing crazy for thinking exactly as above. I see zero benefit in Vermont, sorry.

Just was unsure if he could do a one-and-done in the CHL. That would be my personal preference. Get him a year at that level and take it from there. So what if he needs two. There's no way he jumps from Catamount directly to Sabre. So Vermont, even for a year, delays his NHL debut by two years minimum.

There's a part of me that wants him under Rolston. McCabe again, too, after hearing the kid interview. Mature beyond his years for sure.

He can one-and-done Kelowna or any other WHL team (if he goes that route) because he wasn't drafted out of the CHL and thus isn't subject to the CHL-NHL agreement.
If he didn't make the Sabres at 19, they could send him back to the WHL or down to the AHL and would be able to call him up at any time.
They'd get a couple free development years too, as his contract wouldn't count at 18 or 19 unless he played ten NHL games in a season.

I think he could jump to the NHL after one season in college, but players usually hit a wall because they just aren't used to the grind of the NHL season.
He's not going to be doing anything of note in the post-season with Vermont, so he'd be playing about half as many games as if he played in the WHL.
Plus, he'd have a chance to go much further in the post-season, as Kelowna is not only one of the best programs in the WHL, but in the whole CHL.

He really has nothing to accomplish at Vermont as he doesn't have glaring weaknesses.
He needs to gain back the weight that he lost after having his jaw wired shut, but that can be done in the WHL.
The biggest things for him are focusing on the offensive and physical side of his game, adjusting to the speed of the game in a league that plays more of a pro style, and playing lots of games.
Vermont really fulfills none of those.

I want nothing to do with him in the AHL.
Teenagers don't belong there and there aren't many cases to compare to, but the most recent cases are guys like D'Amigo, Filatov, Morin, Pirri, and Tatar.
None of them have had any impact in NHL and were probably better off staying in college or juniors.
Teams are under the impression that AHL > CHL or NCAA just because there are older players, but the AHL doesn't have the expertise or resources that the other two have to correctly handle teenagers.

Why are so many here seemingly okay with putting him in the AHL?
It's not necessarily a good idea just because the organization is thinking about it.

If I'm GM, I tell him you're either going to UVM or you're playing in the WHL and I'd prefer that you play in the Dub.
If you do, you'll get over $100,000, $90,000 of which will be on the spot, and you'll have a chance to make the NHL as a 19 year old.
If you go to UVM, you'll probably have to ride the bus in the AHL at some point after you hit the rookie wall.

You seem to have an aversion to the AHL and it's kind of strange. I've noticed on several occasions you want prospects to avoid the league. The reality is I'm sure the Sabres value getting one of their top prospects to the development coach of their choice asap. And judging by Devine's comments its obviously something they probably want.

You seem to have an aversion to the AHL and it's kind of strange. I've noticed on several occasions you want prospects to avoid the league. The reality is I'm sure the Sabres value getting one of their top prospects to the development coach of their choice asap. And judging by Devine's comments its obviously something they probably want.

Ryan Huska coaching Girgensons in a league full of his peers > Ron Rolston coaching Girgensons in a league full of old journeymen.